Disposable bibs are well known in the art. Such bibs can be provided for use on babies during feeding. Disposable bibs can have a laminate construction comprising multiple layers.
One problem with securing a bib to wearer is that, in fastening the bib to the wearer, the portion of the bib covering the wearer's chest can become distorted, thereby causing the bib to gap away from the wearer's chest. This distortion can be caused by the forces applied to the bib in securing the bib about the wearer's neck. Additionally, the portion of the bib over the wearer's chest can be distorted when the wearer's arms move, such as during feeding of the wearer. Such distortion is undesirable, because it can leave a portion of the wearer unprotected from food spills, and can cause discomfort to the wearer.
Two attempts to overcome this problem are illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,369 issued Jul. 4, 1939 to Woolever and U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,279 issued Nov. 22, 1966 to Brown. These patents disclose bibs having curved edges which form concave shapes at the longitudinal side edges of the bibs. However, these shapes are complex to produce. The irregularly shaped edges lead to difficulties, which must be accounted for in manufacturing. Furthermore, the concavities represent surface area not covered by the bibs and which can allow spilled foods to contact and soil the clothing of the wearer. One improvement upon this art is illustrated in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 08/733,377 filed Oct. 17, 1996 in the name of Jackson, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Accordingly there is a need for a bib having the convenience of manufacture associated with straight longitudinal side edges. There is further a need for such a bib which has stress relief means to accommodate the proper fit for various sizes of wearers and wearers assuming different positions while the bib is in use.